Full Litany: Honoring First Peoples — Confession and Reconciliation

Palestinian Solidarity Sunday • November 29, 2020

Before beginning, please look up those native to the land you are gathering on here. Speak the name(s) of those people below in the acknowledgment. This reflection was written for a North-American-contexted gathering, so please alter your lens as is appropriate to your context.

WELCOME and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF TRADITIONAL TERRITORY • We begin by acknowledging the traditional territory upon which we gather this morning. For many thousands of years, the [______] people sought to walk gently on this land. They offered assistance to the first European travelers to this territory and shared their knowledge for survival in what was at times a harsh climate. We seek a new relationship with the Original Peoples of this land, one based in honor and deep respect.

REFLECT • Discuss in a small group or ponder in solitude the image of Jesus to the right.

RULE OF LIFE

Creator God we acknowledge and give thanks that:

In Jesus we know we belong to a Sacred Circle with the Gospel and Baptismal Covenant in the Center.

In this Sacred Circle: We are all related; We live a compassionate and generous life; We respect all life, traditions, and resources; We commit ourselves to spiritual growth, discipleship, and consensus.

Amen.

Reconciliation • By Rebeka Tabobondung

We are waking up to our history

from a forced slumber

We are breathing it into our lungs

so it will be a part of us again

It will make us angry at first

because we will see how much you stole from us

and for how long you watched us suffer we will see

how you see us

and how when we copied your ways we killed our

own.

We will cry and cry and cry

because we can never be the same again But we

will go home to cry

and we will see ourselves in this huge mess

and we will gently whisper the circle back and it

will be old and it will be new.

Then we will breathe our history back to you you

will feel how strong and alive it is

and you will feel yourself become a part of it

And it will shock you at first

because it is too big to see all at once and you

won’t want to believe it

you will see how you see us

and all the disaster in your ways how much we

lost.

And you will cry and cry and cry

because we can never be the same again but we

will cry with you

and we will see ourselves in this huge mess and we

will gently whisper the circle back and it will be

old and it will be new.

Palestinian Solidarity Sunday • November 29, 2020

RESPONSE

Leader: We hear. We cry. We learn. We apologize.

All: We believe. We pray. We hope. We act.

Leader: God in your mercy, help us whisper the circle back. All: So it may be old and it may be

new.

~

REFLECT • Discuss in a small group or ponder in solitude the idea of reconciliation and

reparation.

Consider this: reconciliation is always found in the context of relationship and not internal dialogue.

Reconciliation means facing the tribulation we have caused and seeking forgiveness and justice in the way that Christ has

called us. It means listening to the cries of pain that our sin has caused and offering sincere apologies. It means

building relationships at the discretion of those have suffered.

~

PRAYER OF CONFESSION

Leader: God, how often have we spoken what we thought to be a joke, only to see the hurt on the others’

face? We did not think that our words would hurt, but they did. How often have we stood by as someone

else spoke hurtful words, and did nothing? How often have we allowed a stereotype or a bias to get in the

way of actually seeing the individual in front of us?

All: We confess that we do not always see or hear with our hearts. We confess that we do not always act

with your justice.

Leader: We sometimes feel that we were not there when the children were taken from their parents and

sent away to school. For most, our parents were not there nor were our grandparents.

All: We confess that sometimes we don’t see why we are being held to account for the actions of people

that we did not know and, so long ago.

Leader: But, we are the bearers of many blessings of our ancestors of blood or faith. Therefore, we must

also bear their burdens and responsibilities. Residential Schools in the U.S. were still closing by 2007; that

was in our time and we did not know the truth.

All: We apologize for the actions of our country and our churches in running Indian Residential Schools.

We seek your forgiveness for what has been done to your children. We seek acceptance of our

commitment to justice and our desire to walk towards reconciliation. We ask for your grace to heal all of

us. Amen.

ASSURANCE

Leader: Forgiving, Merciful, and Righteous One: Forgiving One, your love is higher than the starry

heavens. Merciful One, your kindness is deeper than the ocean.

Righteous One, let each of us be the transformation of your love and kindness into energy for speaking

the truth and reconciling with one another.

Amen.

RESOURCES USED FOR DEVOTIONAL CREATION:

• Anglican Council of Indigenous People’s A Disciple’s Prayer Book

• The Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue’s Living the Call to Reconciliation

• Poem by Rebeka Tabobondung, first offered for KAIROS reflection in the Ecumenical Worship Service in

“Making it Matter,” KAIROS, 2011, p.9.

• Photo: Janet MacKenzie "Jesus of the People"